The Early Proffesor Dumbledore
by Angelina Maria
Summary: This story takes place in Dumbledore's early years as a teacher. It is in reply to a challenge at called Accidently In Love DumbledoreMcGonagall
1. Chapter 1

It was a normal first day of Hogwarts, one of the earlier years. Dumbledore was just about to begin his opening speech. All the students were looking hungrier and hungrier for food.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts. There is a list of prohibited items in the caretaker's office. Third years and up will be permitted to go to Hogsmeade for a few weekends this year. Well, I think that is everyone…Tuck in!"

And with that, the food appeared and everyone started stuffing themselves. Dumbledore was eating when out of the corner of his eye he thought he noticed something beautiful. He turned his head and found out it was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She had long flowing brown hair and looked very young for her age. I do not have a chance, Albus thought to himself. Just then something creamy and white flew past his face and splattered on the wall behind him.

"What the." he exclaimed loudly. The pretty teacher looked over at him and he blushed. Then she saw the pudding too.

"Food Fight!" she yelled and threw her dessert right at Albus' head. He grinned, only half annoyed. Just then he imagined her and him, kissing in a tub of pudding. Soon everyone was partaking in the throwing of the food.

"Oh my…" he said. But then the feast was over and it was time for the weary headmaster to retire into his bedroom. Albus took a long bubbly bath and changed into his pink bunny pajama pants. They were his secret pleasure. Albus had just settled into his warm cozy bed when he heard a knock at his door. Hurriedly, he grabbed his robe and peeked out the peek hole. There stood his Princess Charming. Still in the clothes she wore to the feast, the new DADA teacher was standing on the other side of his thin bedroom door. And there he was, in his bedroom wear. He opened the door slowly.

"Hi!" she said brightly, looking up and down him, in his woolen robe.

"Erm…hello." Dumbledore said. "Can I help you?" She nodded.

"As you know, I'm new here, Well of course you know that, you're the headmaster, hehehe, Well anyway I was just wondering, I'm kind of lost and I can't find my room, Oh my I'm babbling again, I do that sometimes…" she said at about fifty kilometers a minute. Dumbledore just stood there nodding his head up and down.

"Why don't I give you a tour?" he suggested.

"That would be great," she suggested. "Professor Drumbeater, right?"

"Um, no, Actually it's Dumbledore," he corrected her gently. "Albus Dumbledore" She blushed apologetically.

"Oh. Well I'm Minerva McGonagall." They shook hands.

"Well, welcome to Hogwarts then, Professor McGonagall." They walked through the halls, Dumbledore pointing out each room and its function. Finally they came to one door in particular that Dumbledore had no clue what it was.

"I've never seen this door before" he marveled. The door was, in fact, the famous and infamous Room of Requirement. Dumbledore, being a relatively new headmaster, had yet to find it.

"Well, lets open it then," Minerva said, reaching for the door. But Dumbledore stopped her.

"Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the wizarding world but one should never open an unknown door." Instead he cast a spell to detect if there was any darkness in its presence or behind the door. Finding none, he opened it up slowly. The two walked in, turned on the light and saw the room was full of sofas, lamps and even a instant butter beer machine.


	2. A Mistake

"Wow," Minerva breathed. "This is wonderful…"

"Yes," said Albus, still a little suspicious. "But maybe it's a trick or something." Minerva waved the idea away with her hand.

"Nonsense," she said. "Lets just sit down for a bit and enjoy the atmosphere." Albus still thought it was a sketchy idea but who was he to argue with this beautiful young professor. They sat down on one of the couches and made their selves comfortable, drinking butterbeer and laughing the night away.

In the midst of all the chatter and merriment, not to mention a meaningful relationship blooming, Albus glanced at his watch. It was ten after midnight.

"Oh my," he said, "Look how time flies, Let me escort you back to your room, Minerva" She smiled.

"I guess it is time to part…" They walked in a comfortable silence back to the lady teachers' dorms. When they finally got to Minerva's, Albus just stood there, not wanting to leave.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in a few hours…" Minerva said. Albus looked at her, confused. "Breakfast? Great Hall? Ring a bell…?" she said. Albus nodded.

"Oh yes…" he secretly could not wait.

The next day they had a faculty meeting. Albus, to his displeasure, ended up seated down the table a ways from Minerva. Nevertheless, he stole glances at her whenever he could. He was hoping to meet with her after the meeting and suggest a walk on the grounds or something of the sort. Next to him sat Professor Sunnite, the current ornery Muggle Studies teacher.

"Hey, headmaster," Steely Sunnite whispered to Albus. "I have an announcement to make about that new teacher. But I thought I'd clear it with you first." The meeting had not actually started yet and a lot of the teachers were chatting with each other.

"What is it?" Albus whispered back as he was snapped from his thoughts about that very same teacher.

"I think you should fire her…" Steely whispered.

"What? Why?" said Professor Dumbledore, not whispering anymore.

"She is a horrible teacher." Steely continued.

"No, she's not," Albus' voice got increasingly louder.

"How do you know? Have you even seen her teach? Why do you care so much anyway?" Steely replied. Everyone at the table was looking and listening now.

"Because," Dumbledore was shouting now. "Because I LOVE HER. I LOVE MINERVA MCGONAGALL!" All the professors stared with their mouths hanging open. Albus realized what he had just said. He loved her? He had not even realized. He had known he had liked her. He had known he thought about her every second of the day. He had known he had cared for her strongly and wanted to be with her all the time. But loved her? Albus Dumbledore did not fall in love. It was just unheard of. He conducted the meeting in the usualist way that he could, pretending nothing had happened. But the thoughts were racing in Minerva's head as well. What about the age difference? She wondered. What would her parents say?

After the meeting, everyone and their brother was coming up to the headmaster and making rude comments or distasteful glares. Albus felt so bad about saying what he did, especially since they were looking down on Minerva now too.


	3. A Unwanted Solution

He found her after the faculty meeting.

"I'm so sorry about what happened." He said breathlessly. She nodded carefully.

"Lets take a walk," she said, pulling on his arm. He followed her out to the lake. Then he sat beside her on one of the benches. The yard was filled with students talking, laughing and doing homework.

"Did you really mean it?" Minerva said after they were sitting down. "Are you really in love with me?" Albus looked away. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I guess I am." Minerva gave him a big smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed passionately for a few minutes then Albus pulled away. He looked around at the students pointing and laughing at them. He guessed the news had already leaked out to them too.

"I don't know," Albus said, "I don't know if we can be together." He pulled her close. She nodded.

"I know." They both fell silent for a moment. "I really don't want to jeopardize my teaching career," Minerva whispered. "I'm off to a rough start as it is." Albus nodded.

"I guess there's only one thing we can do," he said. "Friends?" Albus held out his hand to Minerva and they shook. Then both of them got up off the bench and walked away, in separate directions.


End file.
